Trump has MBS’s back because the Saudis buy a lot of stuff from us. He bragged that he did “$450 billion in commercial deals” on his trip to Saudi Arabia.

Cold Blooded Politics

WSJ editors think Trump is crass. But they also thinks the Saudis are important allies in a “dangerous war against Middle Eastern terror supported by the mullahs in Iran.” The editorial page calls it “Trump’s Crude Realpolitik.”

If Saudi royals crave an airing of this dirty laundry, they know what to do: Keep MBS in power. Undoubtably among the interested would be the 9/11 families who managed to win, over President Obama’s veto, sweeping bipartisan support for their lawsuit to hold the Saudi government accountable for the murder of their loved ones on 9/11.

If the Saudis think President Trump can (or wants to ) protect MBS against all that would follow, they should think again.

Update 11/28: The Washington Post’s David Ignatius says there’s a power struggle going on within the royal family. And he has an interesting story about captive family member Turki bin Abdullah and “his closest adviser, Saudi businessman Tarek Obaid.” Obaid is hiding out in Switzerland and may have barely escaped the same fate as Kashoggi. Obaid says, “There was clear abuse of power by incompetent thugs, but I don’t believe that the crown prince’s instructions were for these events to play out as they did.”

Flavored e-cigarettes are the Mike’s Hard Lemonade of the smoking world. Kids like em. So the FDA is cracking down. The government plans to go after menthol cigarettes too. But not the stuff that actually kills you – tobacco. Before it kills you you will have paid lots of taxes on tobacco. And governments are addicted to that.

President Trump ordered “roughly 5,800 troops” to the Mexican border. And he says “they have built a very beautiful fence.” But the real mission: stop a Central American immigrant invasion force. The invading caravan crossed Mexico with Patton Third Army-like speed. And now they’re advancing toward American lines outside Tijuana. So stay tuned.